Chapter 46: Jacqueline Howarth

Manchester: Wednesday, October 1st

‘I won’t come in, thank you very much, Jacqueline.’ Jean’s clipped tones echoed in the communal hallway outside Jackie’s flat.

‘Why not?’

‘There’s no need for me to come in.’

‘Don’t be daft.’ Jackie stepped back and opened the door wider.

‘I’ve only come to give you a message from your father. From your father and me,’ Jean corrected herself.

‘Well, I’m not standing here while you do.’ It was clear her mother had come to pick a fight and Jackie had a fair idea what it was about. ‘Either you come in or …’ She let the rest of the sentence hang in the air.

Jean’s face reddened, the lines around her pursed mouth deepened. She took one step inside and moved so Jackie could close the door. Her eyes slid to one side, taking in Nicki but not acknowledging her.

‘Hello, Mrs. Howarth.’

Jean ignored her. When she began talking it was evident she’d prepared her speech. ‘You’re not to come to the house. Your father… We don’t want to see you again until you give up this disgusting notion about her.’ She tilted her head in Nicki’s direction but still didn’t look at her.

Jackie felt her girlfriend’s closeness before her arm came around her waist. She saw the repulsion that flickered over her mother’s face. It hurt and angered her. She raised her eyebrows, challenging her mother to speak.

‘As I said to your father, this has nothing to do with my side of the family.’ Flecks of spittle escaped with the words. ‘Nothing. This … this grossness has to be something to do with the Howarths, something wrong, something inherited from his side. Something that showed up first in his brother, Tom—’

‘My God, Mother, you’re unbelievable.’

Jean continued her tirade without a pause. ‘He had an unnatural relationship with another man. There was something wrong with him and it’s the same with you. It was revolting then and it’s equally disgusting now, with you and her. Disgusting.’

‘I think you should leave, Mrs Howarth.’ Nicki’s voice was even but Jackie knew the resentment equalled hers. She leaned against her.

Jean stiffened and half-turned her back to Nicki. ‘I’ve had my say; you know now how I … we feel about all this.’ She said to Jackie, fluttering a dismissive hand, ‘It’s easily solved, Jacqueline. So what are you going to do?’

‘I’m going to tell you to piss off, Mother. Now. Before I slap you.’

Nicki pressed her mouth close to Jackie’s ear. ‘Don’t lower yourself, sweetheart.’

Jean’s lips curled. ‘You both need to see a doctor.’

‘Get out!’ Jackie flung the door open. ‘Now.’

Jean turned but then stopped. ‘Good grief, there are three of you.’

Jackie glanced behind her. Karen was by the spare-bedroom door, her hand to her mouth.

The urge to hit her mother was almost overwhelming; Jackie shifted forwards but Nicki’s grip on her arm intensified as she spoke. ‘Your job?’ The two small words instantly calmed Jackie; it wasn’t worth losing the career she loved.

‘Who’s that?’ Jean peered over the top of her glasses at Karen. ‘Another one?’

A sudden thought made Jackie take in a long pull of air into her lungs. Knowing who Karen was would devastate her mother. George Shuttleworth was as much an enemy of her parents as the rest of the family. More so for her father.

And it wasn’t something her mother would keep to herself; the first thing her mother would do when she got home would be, without any doubt, to tell him. And a whole new can of worms would be instantly opened once her father knew about it. She felt the old chill of apprehension; the last thing she wanted was him storming round to the flat.

So she smiled and said, ‘What do you think?’ Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Jackie thought, as she once heard Auntie Mary say.

Jean’s face drained of colour.

‘I can tell you’re shocked, Mrs Howarth,’ Nicki said, barely hiding a smile. ‘If you’d like to sit down, I’ll make a cup of tea and Jackie can explain.’

Jean had quickly recovered. For the first time she looked in the direction of Jackie’s girlfriend, her eyes travelled from the tall woman’s head to her feet and back again. Her tone was cold. ‘You know nothing about me, madam. Nothing. And no, I won’t sit down.’ She faced Jackie. ‘I won’t spend another minute in this place.’

‘So?’ Jackie indicated the door with her head. She crossed her arms to hide the shaking; she wouldn’t give her mother the satisfaction of knowing how upset she was.

‘I won’t come here again. Understand?’

Jackie let the silence answer for her.

‘And you won’t come to our house.’

This time Jackie spoke through the surge of anger and distress. ‘No, I won’t. And you can tell my father you’ve successfully passed on his message. After all these years he still controls you, Mother. My God, I feel sorry for you.’

She didn’t miss the hurt that flashed across Jean’s face and felt wretched as she watched her mother leave. But long afterwards, Jean’s last words resounded in Jackie’s head.

‘From now on, until you stop this revolting association with that woman, you’re dead to us.’